Escape for submarines.



l lmsm ESCAPE FOR SUBMARINES.

APPUCATION FILED JAN.23, 1915.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I L. PEACOCK- v ESCAPE FOR SUBMAR|NES= APPLICATION FILED JAN.23. 1915.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. L. PEAGOCK.

ESCAPE FOR SUBMARINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.23, 1915.

- 1,173,379. I v Patented Feb. 29,19 16.

a SHEETS-SHEET'3.

1 compartments tand closing with a water-- an stares earner estates.

new nan 'Lasrus PEACOCK, or WALLSEND-GN-TYNE, nnenann.

ESCAPE FOB S'UBMARINES.

intense.

To allwlwm it may concern:

2: Be it known that I, EDW'ARD LASTUS Psa- COCK, engineer, subject of the King of Great Britain of WVallsend Shipyard, VVallsendon-Tyne, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Escapes for Submarines, of which the followingi's a specification.

This invention relates to hollow watertight bulkheads and life saving buoys for submarines or submersible boats.

The object of this invention is to provide a hollow watertight bulkhead and an improved buoy which will render the escape possible from a submarine or submersible oat.

. According .to this invention a hollow casing is provided in the boat forming part of a watertight bulkhead preferably extending over the whole depth of the bulkhead, provided with doors either for escape to neighboring -compartments or to the exterior of the boat, and which casing can be used for the purpose of strengthening the bulkhead, the doors preferably being adapted to be used as an ordinary passage. Preferably the casing is vertically disposed within the boat and its section may be any desiredform such as circular, oval or rectangular. If desired there can be useda buoy within the casing, having doors to neighboring tight joint the'aperture in the vesseladapted for its reception.

Means are or may be provided to draw the buoy out from the casing in case the ves sel is. in such a positionthat the buoy will not float out on the admission'of water or compressed air to the casing, such as described andshown on the drawing. I

The casings without or with the buoys Inlay be provided on every second watertight bulkhead so that one casing or buoy-can be utilized from two neighboring compartments and thus provide escape with the smallest number of casings or buoys.

A telephone or other communication between the buoys may be provided being adapted for use also if any buoy is afloat.

The top of the buoy maybe flush with the strong or inner hull of the submarine thus being protected against a collision.

The spa ce between the strong or inner hull andgthe' top of the boat or superstructure may be used for increasing the height of the buoy by using a'dome fixed above the water Specification of Letters Feb. 29., igifio Application filed January 23, 1915. Serial No. 4.021.

tight cover on the top of the buoy, the top of the dome being flush with the top of the boat or superstructure, and preferably also provided with a watertight cover. The connection of the dome to the buoy may be bf lighter construction than the buoy, so that it can be damaged without affecting the watertightness of the buoy. The cover on top of the buoy is adapted to be used as a hatch for the ship.

In some cases the dome may be adapted it; be used as conning tower for submersi- When the dome is made smaller in diameter than the buoy, the opening in the deck In the case where the dome is used as a conning tower which is generally enveloped by a fairwater, the part of the fairwater and the part of the superstructure extending above the buoy may be made integral with the buoy, such as will be shown on the drawings.

Live saving buoys have been employed in submarines in which the top of the buoy is flush with. the hull of the vessel, and'in which the top of the buoy is extended upward to form a conning tower. Screw devices have been employed for holding life saving buoys in. and releasing them from submarines. Telephonic communications have been employed between the buoys and the'vessel.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a submarine provided with one form of life saving buoy made in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the buoy afloat. Fig. 4 is a part -section of a submarine showingthe buoy.

diagrammatic plans showing the disposition of. passages leading to the escape chamber. Fig. 9 shows d1fierent arrangements of casings with reference to bulkheads.

The submarine a is provided with bulkheads 6 0 0i 6 and j, dividing the vessel into watertight compartments.

The bulkheads 6, cl and f are each provided with watertight casings, escape chambers, airlocksor waterlocks gfpreferably cylindricalor conical in form, adapted, to

receive life saving buoys, the top of the buoys being flush with the hull the buoys at b and 7 being provided with dome tops flush with the top of the superstructure and the buoy at 03 being provided with a dome suitable for use as a conning tower.

The watertight casings are each formed "of a shell 9 having watertight doors h h,

and-a flange j.

Each buoy is formed with a shell is and a flange m. A packing 'n, is adapted to be placed between the flange j in the casing and the flange m in the buoy.

0 0 are doors in the side of the buoy disposed opposite to the doors in the casing.

The doors in the buoys and in the casings are used as a passage through the boat. 39 is a door in the top of the buoy. g is a dome having an upper cover 1' and s is a platform attached to the dome which covers the opening in the superstructure for the escape of the buoy and which is adapted to form a seat for the occupants ofthe buoy. The buoy is provided with partitions t. t in which the occupants can stand or sit when the buoy is in use.

'2 is a bolt adapted to engage with'a nut 3 at the bottom of the vessel for the purpose of holding the buoy in position and for releasing the buoy from within when desired.

Should the submarine be lying on its side or other position it may be necessary to force the buoy out of its casing and for this purpose a drum 4. is disposed within the buoy and this drum is adapted to be operated by a worm 5 and worm wheel 6. A rope 7 .is attached to the drum and to a detachable pin 8 so disposed that it will be easily dislodged when the buoy leaves the vessel.

The buoy shown in the casing in bulkhead dis provided with a dome which projects a above the superstructure of the ship; this is protected by a fairwater 11. The dome 12 is provided with'windows and can be used,

as a conning tower. 13 is a projection on thebuoyforming part of the fairwater.

14 is the strong or inner part of the hull.

In use entrance to. the submarine can be s "made't hrough the doors at the top and sides of the buoy and as a hatch may be required for each compartment of the vessel the door of the buoy acts in place of two hatches in.

the ordinary construction.

When it is desired to use purpose ofescape, the occupants enter the buoy and close the doors first in the casing and then in the -buoy. Water is then admitted into the casing by any suitable device connecting with the sea under control from within the buoy or the buoy may be released by the admission of air pressure into the casing which together with its doors is strong enough to resist the water ressure due to the depth at which .the boat is submerged. The screw b'o1t'2 is then unscrewed, the buoy the buoy for the.

forces the buoy out of its casing, so that it is free to rise'up to the surface of'the water,

the pin'8 automatically releasing itself from the ship. 7

For the purpose of communicating from a buoy to other buoys 'or compartments a telephone 1 0 or other-suitable apparatus is provided in the buoy which is connected through a cable 9 with ,a telephone or other suitable instrument in the said buoys or compartments. A- suitable length of cable 9 is stowed in the casing. When the buoy is-released and rises to the surface it will draw the cable from out of the casing. The

cable will be of suflicient length to make the connection possible when the buoy reaches the surface.

It is important that the buoy does not project beyond the strong or inner hull ofthe boat. Such projecting part would be ex posed to a collision. Nevertheless, to utilize that space for increasing the height of theu buoy, I provide the buoy witha dome-extending in that space, the top of which is preferably 'flush with the top of the boat or- The addition of the dome on top of the buoy will add to the freeboard superstructure.

and safety of the buoy when floating onthe surface. 4 struction than the top of the buoy which is preferably flush with the strong or inner hull, so that in a collision, the dome might be damaged without affecting the buoy. In cases where the dome is used as a conning tower, .the connection between the conning tower and the buoyis also preferably made weak enough for the. same reason. There is also the advantage of a buoy'with a watertight dome or'conning tower over same, in that if, when released from the boat the buoy in rising to the surface, strikes any The dome maybe of weaker con-"- floating objectthe dome or conning tower, over the buoy may be damaged without af- 'fecting the watertightness of the buoy.

In the arrangements shown in Figs. 6,-7 and 8, passages 15 lead into the escape cham: bers g the ends of each passage and the escape chambers are-provided with watertight doors 16 and in some cases watertight doors 17- are provided from the passages. to the watertight compartments 18. The doors 19, 19 are oppositely hinged so that. when either compartment is filled. the pressure tends to keep one of the doors tight. These doors mightbe operated automatically (1116 to the pressure of water or from any station in the boat in any well known method,

In the arrangements shown in Fig. 9 the buoy is located at one side of the casing so that a passage may be made through the casing without passing through the buoy.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is having communicating doors, means for fastening the buoy in said casing, and means operable from within the buoy and engaging the casing for forcing the buoy out of the casing comprising a Windlass and rope and a self-detachable engagement between said rope and casing.

3. A submarine ship having an upright tubular watertight casing combined with a buoy in said casing, said casing and buoy having communicating doors, means for fastening the buoy in said casing, and means operable from within the buoy and engaging the casing for forcing the buoy out of the casing comprising a Windlass and rope and a detachable pin engaged by the rope, the casing having an oblique pocket normally retaining said pin.

A submarine ship having a fairwater and having a vertica. 'asing combined with a buoy within said ca mg, the buoy and casing having communicating water-tight doors and the top of said buoy normally located within and protected by said fairwater.

5. A submarine ship having a fairwater and having a vertical casing combined with a buoy within said casing, the buoy and casing having communicating water-tight doors, and said buoy having a dome at its top projecting Within and normally pro- .tected by said tairwater,

6. A submarine ship having a fairwater and having a vertical casing combined with a buoy within said casing, the buoy and casing having communicating watertight doors, and said buoy having its upper part standing normally within and protected by said fairwater, and seats carried by said 1 buoy flush with the top of said fairwater.

7. A submarine ship having a i'airwater and having av vertical casing combined with a buoy within said casing, the buoy and casing having communicating water-tight doors, and said buoy having a water-tight cover and a dome at its top and seats at the sides of the dome, the top of said dome and seats being flush with the top of the fairwater.

8. In submarine ships, at fairwater on top of said submarine, a bulkhead, a watertight casing forming part of said bulkhead, a compartment on each side of said casing, a door from eachcasing to adjacent compartments, a buoy in said casing, doors in said buoy, a watertight cover to said buoy, a dome on top of said buoy, seats by the side of said dome, the top of said dome and seats being flush with the top of the fairwater.

In. witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD LASIUS PEACOCK.

Witnesses:

A. Mironinson, M. Mawn. 

